I signed Afzal Guru's file on Feb. 4: Shinde

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Last Updated: Sat, Feb 09, 2013 05:50 hrs

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who confirmed the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, on Saturday said that his mercy plea was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee on February 3, and added that he signed the file the very next day.

"Afzal Guru's case was sent to a new Home Minister (Shinde) as new President of India he saw the cases. And he had sent me few cases for re-consideration. Afzal Guru's case was already recommended by the Home Ministry earlier in 2011. I examined (his case) in detail, it took me some time, but I recommended to President of India on 21st of January," Shinde told media here.

" And the file came to me from the President of India on 3rd, on 4th I signed and was sent for further execution to the department. The procedure was followed and the date was confirmed by the judicial officer on 8th, the time was also confirmed. And today at 8 a.m. he was hanged," he added.

Shinde took over as the country's Home Minister on July 31 last year.

Guru was convicted of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on Parliament and was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court in 2004.

On 13th December 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed the Parliament complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons.

They included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a gardener.

A journalist, who was injured, died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.

Guru, a Kashmiri Muslim, was arrested within hours after the attack from a bus in the national capital. (ANI)